In everyday life, we are solicited by numerous stimulations coming from different sensory modalities (e.g., visual, tactile, auditory…). These stimuli are integrated separately or combined by the brain to provide the right response. The integration of multisensory information plays a key role in the development of cognitive processes such as spatial representation or social cognition. However, the networks underlying these mechanisms are still not fully understood, particularly the way they are established during neurodevelopment. As a small primate with a short lifespan and high reproduction capacity, the common marmoset is the ideal model to address those questions and understand better the establishment of these mechanisms through neurodevelopment and their potential evolutionary path. However, no study has yet explored these mechanisms at the whole brain level in marmosets, and even less during the neurodevelopment.
My research program aims thus to answer those questions by identifying the networks involved in sensory processing in marmosets across their lifespan. For that, we will explore these networks across the lifespan of marmosets using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods and behavioral measurements. Marmosets are closer to humans than rodents and will facilitate translational studies. However, as the research using the marmoset model is relatively new in neurosciences, it lacks the extensive knowledge acquired in rodents or macaques. This research project is essential to address this lack of knowledge, increase our understanding on the functional brain networks and organization in marmosets. In addition, the outcomes of this research will further support the use of marmosets to model human neurodevelopment and disorders. We are currently the only team in the world proposing to investigate these cognitive processes through the early lifespan of marmosets using imaging techniques combined with longitudinal assessments and behavioral measurements.
